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4 . Dispute Settlement Mechanisms 



The Agreement establishes a binding dispute settlement 

 mechanism which is a cornerstone of the Agreement. The goal 

 is to have the best resource management program in force and 

 to guarantee that decisions will be made in a timely manner. 

 This mechanism is an incentive to the national sections to 

 reach agreement on management issues. 



The Co-chairmen and the Arbitrator are the central 

 figures in the binding dispute settlement system. Their 

 decisions on disputes pertaining to Category A and B manage- 

 ment measures and to interpretations of the Agreement shall 

 be binding on the Parties. Category C management measures 

 are not subject to the Agreement's dispute settlement system. 



The Arbitrator in most instances may not consider a 

 dispute until the Co-Chairmen have attempted to decide the 

 matter and have failed to reach agreement within the time 

 limit stated in the Agreement. Notable exceptions are the 

 expedited settlement procedures for disputes concerning 

 initial fishing years, historical ratios of recreational 

 catch to commercial catch, and emergency amendments to 

 annual management measures. Under these expedited proce- 

 dures a dispute will not be addressed by the Co-Chairmen 

 but will go directly to the Arbitrator for resolution. 



